Broken Realities
by Daien
Summary: A fanfiction with an alternate storyline, creating new chapters in Kamijou Touma's hectic, evergrowing existence. A forgotten past, a twisting present, and a dark future. What mattered the most was left to fade in oblivion.


TAMNI Broken Realities Chapter 1

From Gray Skies

Story Note

Just to let you know, this story happens as if God's Right Seat never targeted Kamijou Touma, or had any of the other terrible events occurred, such as ITEM's falling out; like an alternate universe.

As a heads up, I don't want to waste your time if you have to read all the way through this, so here are a few "What if's..." or "Why/How..." questions to either let you know this story isn't for you, or to reel you in.  
-"What if Touma was never attacked by Vento, and Last Order wasn't ordered to be taken by Aleister Crowley?"  
-"What if Aogami Pierce and Fukiyose Seiri were really distanced childhood friends?"  
-"Who is the 6th Level 5? Is it perhaps A Certain Blue Headed Womanizer?"  
-"Why isn't Tsuchimikado as influential or 'popular' as Touma, being the only Esper-Magician hybrid?"  
-"How did Terra of the Left learn about Imagine Breaker?"  
-"What exactly is Aleister's past? And what is Aiwass?"  
-"Why isn't Saten showing up enough, or Index?"

Not all of these will be done immediately, but it's a work in progress. Go ahead and read this first chapter for a sample (secretly hoping you do, *wink wink*), but reader beware; it's a few cuts short of 4000 words or so. There are many more (and better written) fanfictions where chapters are about 9000 words per, but the 4K is about my personal cup of tea. There are going to be a whole lot of OCs, so be prepared, though many won't show up until later on, during their Arcs.

The tale starts off when Kamijou Touma returns after saving Agnese from Bishop Bussolini, and where Vento would have attacked Kamijou, and where the Hound Dogs would have attacked Accelerator and Last Order. There may be some inconsistencies like the date, time, and events, but I hope you enjoy the story all the same.

NOTE: Profanity Alert!

*Tried to fix some parts to make it less painful to read.

**Edited a _lot_ of the chapter for flow, narration, and just to better it.

*** Redid Chapter Completely!

* * *

**Unspecified Time in the Distant Past**

_It hurts... pain... really hurts..._

Coursing, through every fiber of his body, along every nerve, embedding the blazing sting into every cell... Every magic canal in his body... The pure strain pulling at his very existence, circulating through his muscles; diving in, dispersing, and recollecting before slicing its way back into his being. The sounds of beasts howled inside his mind, throbbing, entwining with his consciousness; feral instincts ripping apart every sense of self that resided in the depths of his shattering heart. And the burning; conflagrations racing through his blood streams that set his worldly self into flames that broke him down, and built him back up; constructing, destroying, reconstructing every strand of identity before sending him back into being, and returning his blood, his mind, his existence.

And then it stopped. At once, the blistering fires ceased and the icy atmosphere invaded his lungs, jerking him back into the truth of his position. Gradually, the pain began to fade, and the world returned to his reality, just outside his bloody red skin. A droplet of icy water slowly slid down the sleek stalactites above and plummeted to the stone-cold floor with a _plop_. He shook as the sound echoed around the empty cavern, jumping from wall to wall before slipping into the complexes of his ears.

And finally, silence. All else beyond his ragged breathing seemed to have frozen in the dark earthy room, the constant rhythm sounding off every curve, every cut of stone.

_Who... am I... again?_

His head pounded away with his still-racing pulse, plausibly fast enough to race around the continent before he could take his next breath. The question's beat away at his focus, again and again.

_... Who am I?... Where is this?... What was…?... Argggggghh! Son of a bitch! It hurts..._

At first, it was only his head that felt alight. But then, he realized his entire body was overflowing with stings and throbs. God dammit, why couldn't someone just kill him there and get it over with...

Well, he felt relieved that at least a fraction of his personality returned to him, but it still left much to be desired for.

And then...

_SCCREEEEEEEEEE!_ The sounds of an age old iron door swept through the air, and light filled his eyes blindingly. A dark silhouette emerged from beyond the entrance. Thin but tall, exhibiting a grandiose presence.

"Come, Alumno."

Alumno... Disciple. Slowly, he crawled up from his knees. The simple action of standing up took a heavy burden, and he almost collapsed back onto the cold ground. But he didn't. Something inside of him forced him to stand without the slightest flaw in composure before the figure before him, not wanting to show even the smallest sign of weakness before this being. An instinct, maybe? Or was it something deeper...

Something flew at his face. He reached onto his head and pulled off the object. A towel? Something about that made him smile, and he proceeded to wipe away the blood and sweat encasing him. Tying it around his bare waist, he looked up to see the person gone, but the door still left open. _He_ would be waiting for him on the outside. He smiled. His mentor...

_...Aleister Crowley._

* * *

Journal Entry 1137

_After years of research and painstaking experimentation, I have concluded that there is no solution to the problem presented before me. The boy has baffled me once again, succeeding the countless times before. He seems to possess absolutely no magical potential whatsoever, with the simple exception of that one, incomprehensible ability, and yet with that he has far more potential than any other Priest, Bishop, or Saint that has passed me by. And I have taken him on as my disciple._

_I have lost track of the years spent training him, as both he and I are affected by the bends in the time stream by Aiwass' presence. He came to me with nothing, and now he has inherited the base of the magic I have reached at the pinnacle of my studies. It appears that my disciple survived the ritual, no doubt to that right hand of his. As for what I shall name it, something that destroys the realities we once knew... Or perhaps were they dreams? I will have to inquire further into this... Imagine Breaker. As for now, I must see if he may continue to meet my expectations._

_-Aleister Crowley_

* * *

**Millenniums Ahead**

**30 September, 20XX**

**Friday**

"Failure!"

Kamijou Touma sighed. Irritating. The blindfold tied around his eyes began to itch, and yet he wasn't allowed to relieve himself of that handicap. Depressingly, he dropped his unseen hand of cards onto the desk before him.

"No! No! No!" The childish voice screamed at him for the one hundred and fifty fourth time. "Get it right!"

"Tsukuyomi-sensei, can go home now?"

57 rounds. 308 cards. That's right. He had counted every single round, every single deal, and every single world of disapproval in the last few hours. Relentless.

"NO! Not until you get ten straight wins!" From what Touma could tell, Komoe sounded as if she were on the edge of tears. Wonderful. Not only had he been held there for the last few hours playing blind poker, but he could also add "Make a girl cry" to his list of accomplishments. He glanced at the clock hammered to the wall. 6:42... Index was going to be pissed.

He wasn't there by his own choice. If he had his way, he'd be halfway to Hawaii by now, far away from all the havoc of Magic and Science he was alway getting caught up in. Of course, chances had it that if he were in Hawaii, Mount Kilauea would've erupted by some maniac's plot to revive an ancient deity or something. God could've at least cut him some slack, or the bare minimum of stopping the loli-looking teacher before him from slapping cards onto the space in front of him. Honestly, he was beginning to regret saving Agnese from the Queen of the Adriatic Sea. Maybe that would've kept him out of the hospital, only to return for make-up lessons. Again, chances were that if that weren't the case, something else would've sent him to the medics. He had been fortunate enough for Himegami and Fukiyose to bring him notes while he was gone, which actually did save him from a few hundred pages of text books.

"Oi! Kami-yan, we're gonna leave without you now!"

"Gah! Oi, Tsuchimikado! Aogami!"

"No! You have to win first! Ten times!"

"FUKOU DA!"

* * *

Academy City.

The breeding grounds of supernatural humans known as Espers; beings of powers thought not possible. Inside the city's concrete walls, 2.3 million people live ten years in the future. Automated cleaning bots, state of the art surveillance, two parallel civil security forces, and much more. Beyond all that were facilities using children as test subjects, murders and conspiracies, and seven adolescents who had the potential to overthrow a country by themselves. And at the center of it all is the archaic and legendary magician himself; Aleister Crowley. There exists another individual who has somehow been tangled together in every plot imaginable; much like the protagonist in someone's science fiction light novel, and born with a right hand that blesses others and curses himself.

Yes. Academy City is where chaos begins, and where it ends. If it is where the past begins, it will most likely be where the future ends. A world all in itself.

…

It's interesting. Much more so than this boring dimension.

"What about you, Aiwass? A wonderful place, don't you think?"

She's obviously bored. But, her pride won't allow her to show it. I wonder if she misses her old student...

"Don't ask me."

Well, I wasn't expecting much of an answer anyways. But it's boring here. Far too boring for someone like me.

"Hey, I'm going to go down to take a look."

Of course, she doesn't even glance at me. Oh well. At my will, a hole tears in the veil separating our dimension from theirs. I hope it will be fun.

...

Oh, and I am Thanatos. Someone... well, something like Aiwass, but that doesn't explain much either? Well, the universes are filled with mysteries. It shouldn't matter much, at least for now.

Oh, and it seems like another story is starting down there. I better hurry. I'd hate it if anything interesting happened without me around.

* * *

Misaka Mikoto sat alone in her dorm. Honestly, there really wasn't anything she could have done about it. Tokiwadai Middle School may have been prestigious, but entertainment wasn't on its priority list, sadly. Even more depressing was that Kuroko wasn't with her to pass the time, no doubt somewhere in the city getting to bust heads, or at the very least, spending office hours with Uiharu.

Boooring.

For some apparent reason, Tokiwadai's curfew had been reset starting a few weeks ago, making everyone and anyone inclined to be indoors before 7:00 pm sharp. And anyone who acted otherwise would have the _pleasure_ of meeting with the Dorm Supervisor.

It really wasn't the school's fault. After all, Chairman Unabara would get the short end of the stick if someone's parents decided to sue him out of the country if their 'precious little jewels' got hurt. Lately, she noticed more and more unusual things started to pile up in Academy City. Poltergeists, clones, giant stone golems, the fake Unabara Mitsuki; the whole series of events were outrageous.

Just thinking about it made her more depressed. Why did everything have to involver her? Not only did it ruin her peace of mind, but also hurt her friends, endangered innocent people, and interrupted her time with Touma.

…

What was that last one? No, no, that couldn't have been right. After all, he was just some spiky haired pushover, and annoying at that. Sure, he had helped her out a few times, like saving Kuroko from the stone giant, and the other teleporter. And saving the lives of the Sisters. And defeating Accelerator. And he did all those on his own accord. But…but it wasn't like she owed him or anything.

Or was it the other way around? After all, she didn't hold a grudge against him for running away. Or for peeping on Kuroko in the hospital. Or for sexually harassing her (and others) during the Daihaiseisai. In fact, he DID owe her something. How long had he avoided that punishment game they agreed on? Just one trip to the mall (which DID get interrupted by Kuroko and the Imouto clones) wasn't going to cut it. Oh no, not by a long shot.

First, he'd kneel on the ground and grovel for her mercy. And then she'd have him pay her back for all the times he called her 'biri biri'. And then he'd take her to the mall and buy her whatever she'd want. And then... and then…

Wah! It was so much fun thinking about all the punishing she'd be doing! Mikoto flopped onto her bed and buried her face into her pillow. Wah, so much fun!

At that time, a very tired and disgruntled Shirai Kuroko entered through the door. She'd spent the day breaking her back over Konori-senpai's orders chasing down delinquents all across town. Yet, while looking forward to some peace and respite, she came home to find Onee-sama face down on her bed emitting strange noises.

"WA! Onee-sama! Are you sick? Onee-sama!"

* * *

"Oi, Tsuchimikado! You alright?"

Raising his head, Motoharu turned his eyes at his two friends. "Yeah, it's nothing. You two go home first. I just remembered I have some shopping to do."

"You want us to wait for you, since we're neighbors?" Touma offered.

"Nyah, it's fine. Later." He ran off, leaving the other two to walk away casually.

"I guess that guy's gotta take care of Maika-chan. Lucky guy," Aogami commented. To be honest, Touma couldn't see what was so good about, since knew from experience taking care of a younger girl proved to be… unpleasant.

Regardless, he held his own tongue and they walked in silence for a bit. The sky was red now, from the setting sun. Yet, as peaceful as the scene was having two friends walk home during twilight, something still bothered him, like a sixth sense.

His thoughts were interrupted by Aogami. "Alright, see you Monday, Kamijou."

Right. The two had finally arrived where their paths split. Waving goodbye, Aogami jogged across the street, towards his bakery-apartment. Muttering a small "Later," Touma walked on. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he realized he didn't know what the weekend homework was. Turning around, he wanted to see if Aogami was still within earshot, but the bakery entrance was empty. Well, he'd call up Tsuchimikado-kun tomorrow and ask.

But something else did catch his attention; the sight of Aogami rushing off, back towards the school, away from his home. What was he up to?

Well, it'd be best not to get involved. It was late, and Friday, so he should probably get home fast, before Index ate the futon.

…

Yet, something else wasn't right. After walking a short while, Touma noticed the streets were empty, save for himself. Normally, he'd see older couples walking around, or at least a late business man rushing home to his irritated wife.

The light began to fade, and the clear red sky was beginning to be swept over with clouds. There wasn't anything like that in the weather report. But, the Tree Diagram wasn't perfect; only 99.872495% of the time...

_Plop!_ The sudden sound of one lonesome raindrop echoed in the empty streets. For some reason, the soft noise caused his body to flinch, as if it had the same effect as a gunshot. Touma suddenly began to feel alone. No, not just alone... Solitary. Completely alone from the world, without another soul. It felt odd, to say the least. Normally, he'd be used to being alone...

Quickly, he shook off the bad childhood memories and threw them aside. What was the point of remembering things like that? Sighing to himself, he began to tread on.

Another noise reached his ears. Something less audible than a single raindrop, but far more threatening... He froze, listening to any signs of it again. Suddenly, Touma realized how vulnerable he was. If he were to be attacked there in the middle of the street, he'd have no where to hide or run, and it'd be too easy to surround him. He could always call for help, and Tsuchimikado would reach him in record time, but pulling out a cellphone would've left him wide open. His hand was only good to block one thing at a time. An attack on both sides would leave him...

The thoughts began to race down on him like an avalanche on his conscience. Should he make a break for it now? Or would that leave him in his assailant's range? The sound returned, slowly, at a beat, getting closer. He could tell the source was coming at him from behind. Alright. He'll just swing a right punch at it the moment it gets close...3...2...1...and!-

"'Hello, Kamijou Touma,' greets Misaka from behind."

Eh? He realized that voice. Touma's head rotated 159 degrees to come face to face with a familiar character. The goggles and assault rifle identified her as one of the 9969 clones he saved at the start of Summer Break. And the heart-shaped jewelry laced around her neck narrowed it down to one.

"Misaka… 13002?"

"'Indeed," Misaka confirms." She seemed to notice his stare at the sleek weapon cradled in her arms. "'It is just a precaution.'"

"Is there something I can help with?" She gazed at him silently, but shook her head.

With that, the two walked without noise to Touma's apartment. The silence slightly disturbed him, but decided to ignore it until they reached the stairs to his complex. The sky had already been filled with darkness, yet no stars were in sight. Thunder and lighting were already striking in the distance.

"So, is everything okay?" Again, Misaka 10032 stared at what seemed to be the depths of his soul. It sent shivers down his spine, but waited for her answer.

"'There is no need for concern. My objective was merely to escort you home,' explains Misaka. 'It was just to ensure your safety from the threat.'"

"My... safety?"

"'Indeed. There has been an intrusion in Academy City. Although we do not know what the offenders objectives are, you may be involved as a special case.'"

Another shout of thunder crashed above the couple's heads. The rain started with a few small _plops_ but quickly evolved into a complete downpour.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Motoharu stopped in an alleyway, not far off the bank of the dried-up riverbed. It wasn't his imagination, was it? No, there was definitely something there.

Something magical. (No pun intended)

Maybe Kami-yan and Aogami didn't sense it, but there wasn't any doubt he himself could. After all, half of him was magic. There were some perks to being the only hybrid Esper-Magician, he guessed.

Turning, he headed closer towards the source. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and he could see the first star in the darkening skies, yet cumulonimbus clouds were swarming close. His sense of the magic was beginning to fade, so he'd have to act fast, before it got away.

Diving into another alleyway, he chased after that faint trace. Even though much of it had faded, there was just enough for him to feel the strength. Heh, how unlucky was it for Kanzaki not to be in town?

It wasn't long until he realized he had entered District 7, with the all-too-familiar metal shipping crates stacked up like iron gates and metal monoliths.

Suddenly a scream pierced through the atmosphere.

"NNNWWWUUUAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The shape of the voices owner came crashing down from the sky, landing meters ahead of Motoharu. A terribly audible _CRACK_ was heard when the body hit the ground. A broken helmet slid forward, landing by his feet, instantly identifiable. Anti-Skill?

"Pl…Please! Help me…" The man's words were suffocated, and Motoharu could almost tell how close he was to dying. He reached into his pocket for a cellphone.

Yet, it was too late. Within seconds, another shape followed the path of the broken man, soaring towards them. Golden hair flew like a whip while the thin figure twisted and flipped through the air. A glint of silver protruded from her hand, almost like a…

…No, not almost; was. And the rapier pierced through the bullet-proof vest; through the skin and bone; through the veins and heart. And then it was over. One last breath of air puffed from his blood soaked lips, and he lied still. Dropping the device in his pocket, Motoharu leapt back from the attacker.

"Oh, and who might you be?" A voice purred. Motoharu could finally get a better look at the assailant. That golden hair was now smeared with crimson blood, but complimented her scarlet eyes of malice. She seemed to be Kanzaki's age, but far more experienced in killing. A black dress was wrapped around her, yet her movements were still quick and free. But the thing that most stood out were her pale arms, coated with cultic symbols and rings.

"What's the matter?" She asked again, in a lithe voice. "Cat got your tongue?" She held the thin blade to her lips and licked the fresh blood off.

"No, I was just wondering what a young foreigner would be doing slaughtering people in the middle of the night." Really now.

"Well, a young lady has to protect herself. Japanese men can be sooo aggressive."

A crash of thunder struck overhead. It seemed like the stormed had finally arrived, and what timing, too. It seemed like this _peaceful_ conversation wouldn't last much longer, but his Onmyouji paper magic and shikigami* would be useless in the rain. Should he escape to a better fighting location? But he didn't know anything about her fighting style, let alone if he could take her on his own. The situation would be even worse if she had allies... Or maybe his escape route was already cut off? If they already had him in their trap... His hand crawled into his pocket, slowly closing around the origami crane.

As if reading his mind, she quelled his thoughts. "Oh, calm yourself, we aren't here to fight."

_We?_ The rain was beginning to pour heavily now, and Motoharu realized the earth would soon become a muddy terrain.

Another figure stepped out of the shadows. Much like the girl, he too had blonde hair, but his eyes were a deep green. And so was the ornate cloak tied around his neck. Slowly, he trodded up to Motoharu, and stuck out a black gloved hand. A relaxed smile sat on his face, as if inviting Motoharu to be friends.

"Hello there, Tsuchimikado Motoharu."

* * *

*Shikigami are animated tools for exorcism, which are usually paired with exorcists like the Onmyouji. An example might be paper cut out in the shape of a human, which could be made to levitate.

Well, I have gone and done it; redone Chapter 1, hopefully better than the previous version. I've just realized what a real writer should aim for, so I'm going to try to aim for _that_ too. Well, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'm hoping for some feedback on this, considering a writer needs an audience to judge his/her works. Thanks for reading this, and I hope you'll look forward to the next chapter.

And just because I've always wanted to do this, here's a little preview narration:

_Kamijou Touma finally returns from Venice, leaving Agnese and Orsola in the hands of the Amakusa Catholics. Yet, instead of a peaceful return, Misaka 10032 tells him something else has gone amiss in Academy City. Tsuchimikado Motoharu is faced with two strangers, but what are their intentions towards him and Academy City? And somewhere in the distant past, another existence with Imagine Breaker has come forth, and ties with Aleister Crowley. Another story begins in the worlds of magic and science, but something new appears as well; a being like Aiwass; Thanatos. What roles do these new characters play in the coming events where magic and science clash?_

Well, that left me slightly satisfied, since I felt it could've been better.


End file.
